Founded in 2006, Blind Start of America hosts events that "bridge the gap between the blind and sighted" and provides resources for visually-impaired individuals to promote participation in mainstream activities and raise awareness of blindness in America. For more information on upcoming events and to donate to the organization, visit www.blindstart.org.

Source: blindstart.org

SILVERADO – Kicking off the summer season, more than 9,000 people participated Saturday in the annual Irvine Lake Mud Run. Among them was Brian Tom, who sees the event not just as a race, but also as a chance to improve lives.

Tom, the founder and CEO of the nonprofit Blind Start of America, or BlindStart, said his organization's mission is to help blind and visually impaired persons lead independent lives. Tom, who is visually-impaired, began losing his sight to glaucoma at 21. It took about a decade for him to feel comfortable with his new lifestyle, and start getting into shape.

Tom, now 42, started Blind Mud Run – first at the Camp Pendleton Marine base, then at Irvine Lake – through BlindStart in 2009 after tackling his first mud run at Camp Pendleton in 2008. He said the mud run can be a visually-impaired person's first step toward independence.

"It's about challenging yourself to get out and try something new," Tom said. "From that experience, just like I did where I felt so alive, like, 'Yes, I can do more. I can do this,' that leads into other parts of your life."

The organization, which started in 2006, hosts athletic events and other activities for the blind and visually-impaired community throughout the year, such as a dragon boat race in July. Tom said the events allow visually-impaired participants to "stretch their comfort zone and meet a lot of new people," which opens that person to a wider network of support and resources. They also promote awareness of blind and visually-impaired communities by encouraging sighted participants to wear blindfolds during the events.

Along with thousands of runners throughout the day, more than 130 BlindStart runners paced Saturday's 5,000 meter, or 5-K, muddy obstacle course untimed. The runners formed teams of about five people: three sighted, one blindfolded and one blind, visually impaired person, according to the event website. The run drew about 10 visually-impaired runners and more than 25 blindfolded volunteers Saturday.

Obstacles at the course included mud pits, climbing walls, river crossings and water slides. Patty Gallegos, 26, was running blindfolded with her guides Maria Galli, 34, and Jay Reginaldo, 33. About halfway through the run in line to slide into a 4-foot-deep pool of muddy water, Galli and Reginaldo said Gallegos wanted to take off her blindfolds.

"Your senses are heightened and you pay attention to different things," said Rowland Heights resident Gallegos, with her blindfolds still on. "You think about the bottom of the mud puddle, what's in there, and where your next step will be."

Meanwhile, singer and actor Robert Smith of Long Beach felt for the climbing walls in front of him with more ease. Now his second time doing Blind Mud Run, Smith, who is visually-impaired, said he hopes to inspire others to "never let your blindness be your enemy."

"A lot of people (in the visually-impaired community) are afraid that they are going to get hurt, or they are going to slow up the team," Smith said. "You can't come into this thinking you're going to automatically get hurt. You have to get out there and try it."

Gabriela King of Colton was running for her 3-year-old son, Trevor, who is visually-impaired. King, 39, has raised about $2,800 for the run since March and organized about 40 family members and friends to run with BlindStart in Trevor's name. Though Trevor is not getting proceeds from the effort, she wants to ensure that the proper resources will be available to her son through BlindStart and other organizations in the future.

"I don't want him to have to spend his life having to find anything," King said. "If I help BlindStart grow, I can help make a future for him later."

Related Links

Blind Start competitors are visibly tired and almost done with the obstacle course as they competed blindfolded during the Irvine Lake Mud run Saturday. MICHAEL LOPEZ, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Durrell Johnson, who is legally blind, jumps over a wall during the Irvine Lake Mud run Saturday at Irvine Lake. MICHAEL LOPEZ, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Michael Yu, left, Mike Pezone and Liz Penone share a moment before they race with the Blind Mud Run group during the Irvine Lake Mud run Saturday at Irvine Lake. MICHAEL LOPEZ, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Tiffany Johnson, who is legally blind, is helped over the 4-foot- high wall during the Irvine Lake Mud run Saturday at Irvine Lake. MICHAEL LOPEZ, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A blindfolded runner is guided by a teammate before going down the water slide part of the course during the Irvine Lake Mud run Saturday at Irvine Lake. MICHAEL LOPEZ, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
CEO and founder of BlindStart.org Brian Tom, poses with Jeanelle Padrebefore the Irvine Lake Mud run Saturday at Irvine Lake. MICHAEL LOPEZ, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A Blind Start competitor enjoys the water slide portion of the Irvine Lake Mud run Saturday at Irvine Lake. MICHAEL LOPEZ, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A Blind Start competitor is helped out of the water pits by her guides during the Irvine Lake Mud run Saturday at Irvine Lake. MICHAEL LOPEZ, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Ice cold water is thrown at Blind Start competitors as they handle the water pits portion of the Irvine Lake Mud run Saturday at Irvine Lake. MICHAEL LOPEZ, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A Blind Start mud runner handles a obstacle as he runs the course with a blindfold during the Irvine Lake Mud run Saturday. MICHAEL LOPEZ, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
BlindStart.org CEO Brian Tom, who is legally blind, jumps over a wall during the Irvine Lake Mud run Saturday. MICHAEL LOPEZ, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Blind Start competitors bask in the foam as they finish the Irvine Lake Mud run blindfolded to support the Blind Start organization Saturday at Irvine Lake. MICHAEL LOPEZ, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Michael Yu celebrates jumping over one of the obstacles during the Irvine Lake Mud run Saturday. MICHAEL LOPEZ, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A blindfolded runner is guided by his team member with a bandana after going over a obstacle during the Irvine Lake Mud run Saturday. MICHAEL LOPEZ, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Blind Start competitors are helped into the water pit portion of the race as water is thrown at them during the Irvine Lake Mud run Saturday. MICHAEL LOPEZ, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Volunteer runners are guided through the Irvine Lake Mud by fellow runners Saturday. MICHAEL LOPEZ, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Darrell Johnson leans on his teammate as they approach the water slide portion of the race during the Irvine Lake Mud run Saturday. MICHAEL LOPEZ, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A Blind Start runner maneuvers in the water after the water slide portion of the obstacle course during the Irvine Lake Mud run Saturday. MICHAEL LOPEZ, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A Blind Start competitor enjoys the water slide portion of the Irvine Lake Mud run Saturday. MICHAEL LOPEZ, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Blind Start competitors crawl under the camo-netting though muddy water during the Irvine Lake Mud run Saturday. MICHAEL LOPEZ, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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